TEXT- #THE WATCH

[superball]

Los Angeles, I have a truly incredible story to tell you!

It all began a few years ago, in the distant city of Saint-Tropez. It was there that I saw the most MARVELLOUS car I have ever laid my eyes on; all sleek lines and smoked glass, with a glossy, deep red finish that glimmered in the summer light! Why, I simply had to walk up to it and compliment its owner on his flawless taste in vehicles.
I made a fast friend that day, but our meeting simply could not last forever. And so we said goodbye and both went on our way, sadness tugging at our hearts!
But when it drove away, the light struck the windshield in such a way that I realized...

The car had been empty all along!!!

Imagine my surprise! Even more surprising still is the fact I actually saw that car again, on numerous occasions! I'm quite the traveller, you see... From Spain to Greece, from old Rome and its monuments to the bustling streets of London! Wherever I went, I would always catch a glimpse, a furtive glance of this mysterious vehicle!

Ah, but you must be wondering why I'm telling you this story. The truth is... I saw this car again today, in this very city! A talking, gleaming sports car, following me across seas and continents... This can't be a coincidence. Fate is at work here, my friends!

Surely some of you must have seen it? It's quite unmistakable!

[Insert one of Eusine's trademark shitty photos here. It's actually not that blurry for once, but it's pretty much impossible to make out any details beyond "this is a perfectly ordinary-looking red sports car that is probably in no way a giant alien robot".
Really useful, Eusine.]

Comments

[chapterfiveversenine]

It was likely a hologram or other illusion. The car itself may be sapient.

[spitemancer]

Is that common here?

[chapterfiveversenine]

Are you referring to holographic technology or sapient vehicles?

[spitemancer]

The latter; I imagine I would have seen them before now if holograms were common.

[chapterfiveversenine]

We have encountered none, but AI could inhabit any vehicle with a sufficiently powerful onboard computer.

(somewhere KITT makes a sad car face)

[spitemancer]

An independently-functioning intelligence of that caliber seems wasted on a mere vehicle, but that's never stopped anyone before.

[chapterfiveversenine]

It need not be a permanent residence.

she thinks this is a compliment, and i am sorry for that

[spitemancer]

How interesting! I admit a lack of familiarity with the subject. Intelligence sometimes crops up in golems, but it's not a widely-studied phenomenon and it certainly hasn't been intentional. (Not that golemancers all over Tyria wouldn't follow you around like skritt begging for 'shinies.')

[chapterfiveversenine]

Software-based artificial intelligence can be constrained to the platform it was created in, but is not necessarily so. Geth are capable of uploading to alternate platforms if necessary.

How are golem intelligences created?

[spitemancer]

Golem intelligence isn't created on purpose. The term "golem" is an acronym of "Genius-Operated Living Enchanted Manifestation," and their original purpose was as armor and mobile guardians, not intelligence per se. Naturally the latter required learning algorithms, which were expanded as golems became common and their tasks diversified. Now, they are ubiquitous. As such, their characteristics and capabilities vary considerably. Models tasked with personal interaction or imbued with thaumic enhancement tend to have the most ability for unique responses to stimuli. I'm told a few can assess long-term situations and create logical responses to them. I haven't seen such a thing, personally.

Rata Sum did suffer a "golem uprising" in '84, but I'm not sure if the cause was an outbreak of sentience or memetic errors. The patch was called a "sedition inhibitor," but then, reputations were at stake. Desperate krewes have been known to do worse.

[chapterfiveversenine]

Electronic software is easily transferable between devices so long as hardware is of sufficient physical capability. Are golem algorithms bound to their initial platforms?

[spitemancer]

As far as I'm aware. It would be an interesting challenge for a golemancer, though. The thaumic energies that power a golem emanate from some of the components of that golem; it may be possible to transfer those specific components to a different body, but it would still be a physical transfer.

[chapterfiveversenine]

Then golem power sources and operating algorithms are stored within the same physical componenet.

[superball]

I was more thinking along the lines of ghostly possession, actually. For the automobile itself to have a mind of its own... why, I have never heard of such thing in car technology!

Unless... a prototype, perhaps?

[chapterfiveversenine]

Any sufficiently powerful computer can host an AI, and vehicles are easily constructed or modified with onboard computers. Humanity rarely has access to sufficiently advanced AI technology, but it is possible that it was developed in secret or of non-Earth origin.

[superball]

You think this might be an alien car???

[chapterfiveversenine]

It is possible. AI technology has been established across multiple alien species.

[superball]

Incredible! So not only did this car follow me across continents... it might even have come for me from another planet!!!

[chapterfiveversenine]

You believe the vehicle selected you specifically for discussion?

[superball]

Of course. Why else would it follow me all over the world? It must have sensed what a great destiny lays before me, and elected to choose me as its human partner!

[chapterfiveversenine]

You consider two encounters to be "following you"?

Your sample size is low.

[superball]

I did glimpse it more than twice! From afar, it's true, but there's *no way* I could mistake a common car for such an otherwordly vehicle!

You could call it... a hunter's instinct.

[chapterfiveversenine]

How many times did you see it?

[superball]

Four or five times, perhaps... and each time in a different country! Really, my "sample size" seems more than adequate.

Besides, this has nothing to do with statistics. This is the stuff of romance!

[chapterfiveversenine]

To our knowledge, romance and statistics are not mutually exclusive.